Angel Who: Where The Running Begins
by MakiSakura
Summary: She is a mystery to all who know her. A old woman, exiled from her homeworld, traveling through both space and time in the TARDIS - a gigantic spaceship/time machine disguised as a police telephone box. Her past, her people, her very name, are unknown.


London, England 1963

It's a late, foggy night out on the old town of London. A lone beat cop in uniform walks around, carrying a flashlight through the thick haze. The light pauses upon a sign "I.M. Foreman Scrap Merchant, Totter's Lane" and moves on.

The sign is upon a gate, which slowly opens... revealing something that's very odd to find in a scrapyard of this era. A late 1950's police telephone box, medium blue in color and rather beat up looking.

Another strange thing about this box...There's no visible lines of any kind running to it, yet it's humming.

...

Coal Hill School - London, England - Monday, 1963

The ringing of the school bell brings an end to another day at high school. The students spill out of the classrooms, chattering to each other. A middle-aged woman, obviously a teacher, follows the students out, calling back into the classroom.

"Wait in here please, Susan. I won't be long." The Woman requests.

Two female students walk very interested in a pamphlet they're reading. A young male student comes up, mocking their excited tones. The girls roll their eyes. One whispers something naughty to the other, they smile and move along. After saying good night to several students, the teacher stops to talk to one student about the class assignment.

"Good night." The Woman said.

Having received a book, the teacher walks up to the school lab. With a quick knock, she walks in.

...

Coal Hill School - Laboratory

Inside, a handsome 28 year old man sits at one of the tables, going through some notes. He looks up as the woman walks in.

"Ah, not gone yet?" The Man comments.

"Obviously not." The Woman replied with a smile.

"Oh, ask a silly question..." The Man retorts.

"Sorry." The Woman apologized.

"That's all right. I'll forgive you this time." The Man teases.

The woman walks in and stands at one of the tables. The man gets up and begins to collect various objects from around the room.

"Ohh, I've had a terrible day. I don't know what to make of it." The Woman confesses.

"Oh? What's the trouble? Can I help?" The Man asked concerned wondering what he could do to help.

"Oh, it's one of the girls. Susan Foreman." She confides as she walks around the table to the man.

"Susan Foreman? She your problem too?" The Man asked amused looking up with a grin.

"Yes." The Woman said.

"And you don't know what to make of her?" The Man continued.

"Nope." The Woman replied.

"How old is she, Barbara?" The Man asked not remembering.

"15." Barbara reminds.

"15...she lets her knowledge out a bit at a time, so as not to embarrass me, that's what I feel about her." The Man shakes his head in amazement. "Knows more science than I'll ever know. She's a genius! Is that what she's doing with history?"

"Something like that." Barbara admits sharing an amazed grin.

"And that's your problem, eh? Whether to hand over the class over to her..." The Man asks but trails of.

"No, not quite." Barbara relents laughing.

"No? What?" The Man asks having finished collecting the objects and leans against one of the tables.

"Ian, I must talk to someone about this, but I don't want get the girl into trouble. And I know you're going to tell me I'm imagining things." Barbara said.

"No..." Ian said.

"Well, I told you how good she is at history. I had a talk with her, and I told her she ought to specialize. She seemed quite interested until I said I'd be willing to work with her at her home. And, she said "that would be absolutely impossible, as her Grandmother didn't like strangers".

"She's a Doctor's wife, isn't she? That's a bit of a lame excuse." Ian said getting up and walking around.

"Well, I didn't take too much notice. But then, recently her homework's been so bad!" Barbara said getting frustrated.

"Yes, I'll say." Ian agrees washing his hands.

"Finally, I got so irritated at all her excuses that I decided to see this grandmother of hers and tell her to take some interest in her." Barbara tells Ian.

"Oh, did you indeed? And what's the old woman like?" Ian asked getting intrigued.

"Well, that's just it. I got her address from the secretary 76 Totters Lane and I went along there one evening." Barbara stars explaining but notices Ian finishes washing his hands. "Oh Ian, do pay attention!"

He walks across the room to dry his hands.

"Sorry. You, ah, went along there..." Ian apologized and promotes her to continue.

"There isn't anything there! It's just an old junkyard!" Barbara finished.

"Well, you went to the wrong place then." Ian comments.

"Well, that was the address the secretary gave me." Barbara replied back.

"The secretary got it wrong then..." Ian starts saying before Barbara cuts him off.

"No. I checked. There's a big wall on one side, houses on the other, and nothing in the middle except this junkyard! And that is No. 76 Totters Lane!" Barbara said.

"Hmm...That's a bit of mystery. Well, there must be a simple answer." Ian muses.

"What?" Barbara inquired intrigued.

"Well, we'll have to find out for ourselves, won't we?" Ian answers with a grin.

"Thanks for the "we." She's waiting in one of the classrooms. I'm lending her a book on the French Revolution." Barbara said grinning back.

"What's she going to do... rewrite it?" Ian questions amused.

Barbara rolls her eyes, and the two teachers get up to leave.

"Oh, all right!" Ian conceded and grabs his coat. "What do we do? Ask her point blank?"

"No. I thought we could drive there, wait 'till she shows up and see where she goes." Barbara explained her plan of action.

"All right." Ian agrees putting his coat on.

"That is, if you're not doing anything." Barbara said worried.

"No, I'm not." Ian reassured and opens the door. "After you..."

...

Coal Hill School - History Classroom

15 year old Susan Foreman, the subject of the teacher's curiosity, is listening to a little pocket radio, putting it up to her ear. She's a slim beauty with elfin features (unusually short for that time), black hair and brown eyes. She's grooving along to that Mersey beat, making funny movements with her right hand and fake strumming a guitar. Ian and Barbara walk in. She's oblivious to them. Barbara seems to be caught by the door jam, but manages to free herself.

"Susan?" Barbara softly questions not wanting to scare her.

"Oh! Oh, sorry, Miss Wright! I didn't hear you coming." Susan apologizes putting down the radio.

Barbara smiles in reassurance that she isn't angry.

"Aren't they fabulous?" Susan questioned.

"Who?" Barbara asked.

"It's John Smith and the Common Men. They've gone from 2 to 19, 19 to 2 in the hit parade!" Susan explained.

"Not bad." Barbara chuckles not understanding a bit of it.

""John Smith" is the stage name for the honorable Aubrey Waites. He started his career as Chris Waites and the Carollers, didn't he, Susan?" Ian explained further since he understood and laughed.

"You are surprising, Mr. Chesterton. I wouldn't expect you to know a thing like that." Susan exclaimed presently surprised.

"I have an enquiring mind..." Ian informed than motions to the loud radio. "And a very sensitive ear."

"Oh, sorry." Susan apologizes flustered and turns of the radio.

"Thank you." Ian chuckles.

"I-is that the book you're lending me, Miss Wright?" Susan inquiries noticing the book Barbara is holding.

"Yes." Barbara answers handing it over.

"Thank you." Susan thanks and starts to look it over with relish. "It will be interesting... I'll return tomorrow."

"Oh, that's not necessary. Till you've finished it." Barbara tells Susan not wanting to rush her.

"I'll have finished it." Susan states moving to put it in her bag.

(Ian and Barbara glance at each other in shock and surprise.

"Oh, where do you live, Susan? I'm, uh, giving Miss Wright a lift home. I've got room for one more." Ian innocently asked.

"No thank you, Mr. Chesterton. I rather like walking in the English fog. It's sort of mysterious." Susan declined avoiding his gaze.

"Well, hurry home Susan. And, be careful. The fog's getting thicker." Barbara insisted.

"Hmm." Susan hums her agreement arranging things in her school bag.

"See you in the morning." Barbara said.

"I expect so. Good night." Susan says.

"Good night." Barbara replied.

"Good night, Susan." Ian said.

Ian and Barbara leave the room. Susan looks behind her at the closing door then picks up her book "The French Revolution," and starts to read a page at random. A moment later, she blinks at the book, startled.

"That's not right...!"

...

Totters Lane - That Night

Ian and Barbara are in his car as it arrives in Totters Lane.

"Over there!" Barbara points out.

The car comes to a stop before the old wooden gate to the junkyard. The two teachers remain in the vehicle.

"Lucky there was no fog. I'd never have found this." Ian comments.

"Well, she doesn't seem to have arrived yet." Barbara said before she pauses nervously. "I suppose we are doing the right thing, aren't we?"

"You can't justify curiosity." Ian responds.

"But her homework…" Barbara argued weakly before trailing off.

"Bit of an excuse, really, isn't it? I've seen far worse. The truth is, we're both curious about Susan, and we won't be happy until we know some of the answers." Ian considers.

"Well, you can't just pass it off like that. If I thought I was just being a busybody, I'd go straight home! I thought you agreed she was a bit of a mystery!" Barbara said defensively.

"Yes, but I think you'll find there's a very simple explanation to all this." Ian rationalizes.

"Well, I don't know how you explain the fact that a teenage girl does not know how many shillings there are in a pound." Barbara tells Ian.

"Really?" Ian inquiries surprised.

"Really! She said she thought we were on the decimal system." Barbara said.

"The decimal system?" Ian asked.

...

Coal Hill School - Barbara's Classroom (Flashback)

The whole of Barbara's history class is laughing at Susan's naiveté. A visibly stung Susan turns her back on the other students and stares directly at Barbara.

"I'm sorry, Miss Wright." Susan apologizes.

"Don't be silly, Susan. The United States has a decimal system. You know perfectly well that we do not." Barbara said cross.

"Of course.. the decimal system hasn't started yet!" Susan said in a shock of understanding.

...

Totters Lane. (Present)

"I suppose she couldn't be a foreigner...no, it doesn't make sense! Nothing about this girl makes sense. For instance, just the other day, I was talking about chemical changes. I'd given out the litmus paper to show cause and effect…" Ian tries to rationalize as he rubs his chin in thought.

"…and she knew the answer before you'd started." Barbara asked cutting Ian off getting excited.

"Well, not quite. The answer simply didn't interest her..." Ian admits.

...

Coal Hill School - Laboratory (Flashback)

A nervous Susan at the lab bench, again surrounded by her fellow pupils, addresses Ian, who's walking toward her.

"Yes, I can see red turns to blue, Mr. Chesterton, but that's because we're dealing with two inactive chemicals. They only act in relation to each other." Susan explains.

"But that's the whole point of the experiment, Susan." Ian said exasperated.

"Yes, it's a bit obvious, isn't it? Well, I-I'm not trying to be rude, but...couldn't we deal with two active chemicals? Then red could turn blue all by itself and we could get on with something else." Susan requests.

Her expression turns sheepish as she glances at her fellow pupils and she speaks more quietly. "I'm sorry. It was just an idea."

...

Totters Lane (Present)

"She means it. These simple experiments are child's play to her." Ian said.

"You know, it's almost got to the point where I want to deliberately trip her up." Barbara confessed sheepishly.

"Yes...something like that happened the other day. I'd set the class a problem with A, B, and C as the three dimensions..." Ian said laughing quietly.

...

Coal Hill School - Laboratory (Flashback)

Susan is clearly upset. For the final time she faces Ian full on.

"It's impossible unless you use D and E!" Susan exclaims mad.

"D and E? Whatever for? Do the problem that's set, Susan." Ian said.

"I can't, Mr. Chesterton! You can't simply work on three of the dimensions!" Susan replied back.

"Three of them? Oh. Time being the fourth, I suppose. Then what do you need E for? What do you make the fifth dimension?" Ian asks curious.

"Space..." Susa said quietly and somewhat mysteriously.

...

Totters Lane (Present)

"Too many questions and not enough answers." Barbara sighs dissatisfied.

"Too stupid...or just doesn't know. So, we have a fifteen-year old girl who is absolutely brilliant at some things and excruciatingly bad at others." Ian says.

"There she is!" Barbara says pointing out of the cars window.

At the entrance to the junkyard, Susan, in her hat and coat with her bag over her shoulder, looks round furtively, then pushes open the gate and enters the yard.

"Look, can we go in? I..I hate to think of her, alone in that place." Barbara asked concerned.

"If she is alone. Look, she is fifteen…she might be meeting a boy. Didn't that occur to you?" Ian theorized.

"I almost hope she is." Barbara admits.

"What do you mean?" Ian inquired.

"Well, it would be so wonderfully normal." Barbara points out.

Both teachers laugh. But then Barbara grows sombre.

"It's silly, isn't it? I feel frightened…as if we're about to interfere in something that is best left alone..." Barbara asks.

...

Junkyard - 76 Totters Lane

Susan walking through the junkyard, puts something to eat in her mouth. A tailors dummy with a broken head stands behind her.

...

Totters Lane

"Come on, let's get it over with." Ian said opening up the car door.

He and Barbara get out of the car, and start toward the gate. Barbara gets more and more uneasy, and hangs back.

"Well, don't you feel it?" Barbara asks nervously.

"I take things as they come, come on." Ian replied.

The two teachers walk towards the gates.

...

Junkyard - 76 Totters Lane

With a creak of the gate, Ian and Barbara enter the junkyard. Ian switches on his torch and they stare at the mounds of junk. Susan is nowhere in sight. They briefly examine the tailors dummy.

"What a mess. I'm not turning any of this stuff over to find her..." Ian comments.

"Over there?" Barbara questions pointing.

Ian starts in the direction indicated, only to stumble over one of the pieces of junk. He picks himself back up.

"Blast! I dropped it!" Ian exclaims.

"What?" Barbara asks.

"The torch!" Ian says.

"Well, use a match!" Barbara replies back.

"No, I haven't got any. Oh, never mind." Ian tells Barbara.

The two teachers continue their exploration of the junkyard now somewhat in darkness.

"Susan?" Barbara called out.

"Susan? Susan?" Ian also calls out

"Susan?" Ian asks as he starts up a short flight of stairs which lead to the building at the back of the yard.

He comes back down.

"Susan! It's Mr. Chesterton and Miss Wright!" Ian shouts out.

He looks behind the stairs then, quietly to himself.

"Can't have got out without us seeing her?" Ian questions.

"Ian...look at this!" Barbara said.

Barbara has found the Police Box, which stands next to the stairs.

"Well, it's a police box! What on earth's it doing here? Well, these things are usually on the street…" Ian pointed out confused.

Ian has put his hand on the box's side whilst saying this but he stops dead in surprise. He touches it with his full hand, more firmly.

"Feel it! Feel it!" Ian exclaims.

Barbara quickly puts the back of her hand on and off the side of the box.

"Did you feel it?" Ian questions Barbara.

"It's a faint vibration..." Barbara says trailing off.

He takes a step back from the box.

"It's alive!" Ian said.

Ian quickly walks around the back of the box as Barbara waits.

"It's not connected to anything, unless it's through the floor." Ian said getting a little nervous himself.

"Look, I-I've had enough. Let's go and find a policeman." Barbara pleads moving up from nervous to scared.

"Yes, all right…" Ian starts to say but stops when he hears something.

A coughing sound echoes through the junkyard from outside the gates.

"Is that her?" Barbara asked.

"That's not her…" Ian answers.

The gate creaks open.

"Quick!" Ian tells Barbara.

They hide behind the stairs. An old woman walks into view. Seemingly in her mid seventies, with short wavy grayish-white hair, wearing a long beige floral print shirt, beige pants and flats. She coughs and waves a handkerchief to clear the air. She goes up to the box, pulling out a key and, holding a slim pen flashlight in the other hand, starts to insert the key into the lock set into the box's door.

"There you are, Grandmother!" Susan calls out happily.

"It's Susan!" Barbara whispers shocked.

"Shh!" Ian shushed.

The old woman has heard them. She pockets the key and shines the torch on the stairs as Ian comes out of hiding.

"Excuse me..." Ian says sheepishly.

"What are you doing here?" The Old Woman demanded shining the pen torch at his face.

"Uh, we're looking for a girl." Ian confesses.

"We?" The Old Lady inquiries.

"Good evening." Barbara greets stepping into view.

"What do you want?" The Old Woman asked.

"Um...one of our pupils, Susan Foreman, came into this yard." Ian explained.

"Really? In here? Are you sure?" The Old Woman questions with a warm smile on her face.

"Yes. We saw her from across the street." Barbara replied.

"One of their pupils. Not the police, then..." The Old Woman mutters to herself in some relief.

"Er…I…I beg your pardon?" Ian asked confused.

"Why were you spying on her? Who are you?" The Old Woman demanded fixing Ian with a stare.

"We heard a young girl's voice call out to you..." Ian started but got cut off.

"Your hearing must be very acute. I didn't hear anything." The Old Woman said.

"It came from in here!" Barbara said as she points to the box.

"You imagined it." The Old Woman said as a flash of fear and worry crosses her face.

"I certainly did not imagine it!" Barbara says getting annoyed by this old woman.

The old woman pulls Ian by the arm to one side.

"Young man...Is it reasonable to suppose that anyone would be inside a cupboard like that, hmm?" The Old try's to reason with him.

"Would it therefore be unreasonable to ask you to let us have a look inside?" Ian asks.

The Old Woman's attention is suddenly drawn to a painting amid the junk.

"I wonder why I've never seen that before. Now, isn't that strange? Pretty damp and dirty...hmm..." The Old Woman says to herself picking up the painting.

"Won't you help us? We're two of her teachers from the Coal Hill School. We saw her come in and we haven't seen her leave. Naturally, we're worried..." Barbara pleads and explained hoping the Old Woman would say yes.

"Have to be cleaned..." The Old Woman mutters to herself not paying attention but suddenly seems to notice her again. "Mmm? Oh, I'm afraid it's none of my business. I suggest you leave here."

She puts the painting back down and walks back to the Police box.

"Not until we're satisfied that Susan isn't here and, frankly, I don't understand your attitude…" Ian said frustrated.

"Oh, yours leaves a lot to be desired." The Old Woman retorts back.

"Will you open the door?" Ian asked.

"There's nothing in there!" The Old Woman tells them.

"Then what are you afraid to show us?" Ian demanded to know.

"Afraid? Oh, go away!" The Old Woman scoffs annoyed and angry.

"I think we'd better go and fetch a policeman." Ian tells Barbara.

"Very well." The Old Woman said.

"And you're coming with us." Ian tells her.

"Oh...am I?" The Old Woman chuckles amused. "I don't think so, young man. No, I don't think so..."

"We can't force her!" Barbara whispers to Ian.

IAN: (Whisper.) "But we can't leave him here! Doesn't it seem obvious to you he's got her locked up in there?" Ian whispered back.

Barbra nods.

"Look at it!" Ian demands.

The Old Woman is standing away from them again, now seemingly examining a small jug but her real attention is occupied by the teachers conversation as Ian examines the box's door.

"There's no door handle...must be a secret lock somewhere." Ian muses.

"That was Susan's voice." Barbara said.

"Of course it was! Susan...Susan? Are you in there? It's Mr. Chesterton and Miss Wright, Susan!" Ian calls out.

"Don't you think you're being rather high handed, young man? You thought you saw a young girl enter the yard. You imagined you heard her voice. You believe she might be in there. It's not very substantial, is it?" The Old Woman taunts.

"But why won't you help us?" Barbara asks confused.

She puts the jug back down and faces the teachers.

"I'm not hindering you. If you both want to make fools of yourselves, I suggest you do what you said you'd do. Go and find a policeman." The Old Woman explains.

"While you nip off quietly in the other direction." Ian says seeing right through the Old Woman's plan.

"Insulting." The Old Woman says momentarily closing his eyes. She faces them again. "There's only one way in and out of this yard. I shall be here when you get back. I want to see your faces when you try to explain away your behavior to a policeman.

"Nevertheless, we're going to find one. Come along, Barbara." Ian tells the Old Woman.

The two teachers turn their backs on the Old Woman, toward the gate. They've taken only a step when the door of the box opens.

"What are you doing out there?" Susan questions curiously.

"She is in there!" Ian exclaimed.

Suddenly the Old Woman rushes at the two teachers, trying to hold them back.

"Close the door!" The Old Woman yelled to Susan.

"Barbara!" Ian shouts.

As Ian struggles with the Old Woman not wanting to seriously hurt her, Barbara dashes through the box's open door…

...

Police Box

…and into a large brilliantly lit white room. The walls are covered with circular, indentations. A hexagonal shaped control console with a cylindrical tube inset in the centre with machinery visible inside. Various antiques decorate the place. A monitor is set into the upper wall. A shocked Susan walks from behind the console. The Old Woman and Ian walk inside behind Barbara.

"Close the doors, Susan." The Old Woman said.

Susan activates a switch on the console, and the large double doors behind the group close with an electronic hum.

"I believe these people are known to you." The Old Woman tells Susan.

"They're two of my schoolteachers! What are you doing here?" Susan informed confused and shocked.

"Where are we?" Barbara asked in shock looking around in wonder.

"They must have followed you. That ridiculous school. I knew something like this would happen if we stayed in one place too long." The Old Woman said more annoyed by the situation than anything else.

"But why should they follow me." Susan asks again.

"Is this really where you live, Susan?" Barbara asked Susan.

"Yes." Susan answers.

"And what's wrong with it?" The Old Woman questions defensively.

"But it was just a telephone box..." Ian states trailing off.

"Perhaps." The Old Woman says mysteriously.

"And this is your grandmother...?" Barbara continued to question.

"Yes. The Angel, The Doctors wife." Susan confirmed.

"Well, why didn't you tell us that?" Barbara questions The Angel.

"I don't discuss my private life with strangers." The Angel tells her

"But it was a police telephone box. I walked all round it! Barbara, you saw me!" Ian said still shocked.

The Angel crosses to an antique ormolu clock on a nearby stand.

"You don't deserve any explanations. You pushed your way in here, uninvited and unwelcome." The Angel reminded angry.

"I think we ought to leave..." Barbara tells Ian but tails off.

"No, just a minute." Ian tells Barbara and then he crosses to The Angel.

"Dear, dear, dear, this is very…." The Angel says to herself as she examined the clock.

"I know this is absurd, but I feel...I walked all around it!" Ian exclaimed.

The Angel's attention is still occupied by the clock.

"It's stopped again, you know, and I've tried..." The Angel starts talking but takes notice of Ian. "Hmm? Oh, you wouldn't understand at all."

She walks back to the console but Ian follows her.

"But I want to understand!" Ian protested.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." The Angel says repeatedly uninterested.

"Oh by the way Susan, I've managed to find a replacement for that faulty filament. Bit of an amateur job, but I, er, I think it'll serve." The Angel tells her granddaughter.

The Angel takes an electronic object out of her pants pocket and walks to the console. She starts to insert the object into the console, effecting repairs.

"It's an illusion. It must be..." Ian says to himself.

"What is he talking about now?" The Angel asked annoyed.

"What are you doing here?" Susan questions her teachers.

"You don't understand, so you find excuses. Illusions, indeed? You say you can't fit an enormous building into one of your smaller sitting rooms?" The Angel says frustrated coughing quietly for attention.

"No." Ian said.

"But you've discovered television, haven't you?" The Angel asked.

"Yes..." Ian answered.

"Then by showing an enormous building on your television screen, you can do what seemed impossible, couldn't you?" The Angel somewhat explained.

"Well...yes, but I still don't know…" Ian said still confused.

"It's not quite clear, is it? I can see by your face that you're not certain. You don't understand." The Angel said and laughs. "And I knew you wouldn't! Never mind." The Angel turns back to the console. "Now then, which switch was it...? No, no, no...Ah yes, that is it!" She flips the switch. "The point is not whether you understand..." The Angel turns back to Ian. "What is going to happen to you, hmm?" To Susan. "They'll tell everybody about the ship now."

"The ship...?" Ian inquired.

"Yes, yes, ship! This doesn't roll along on wheels, you know." The Angel said.

"You mean...it moves?" Barbara asks stunned.

"The TARDIS can go anywhere." Susan informed.

"TARDIS? I don't understand you, Susan." Barbara told her.

"Well, I made up the name TARDIS from the initials. Time And Relative Dimension In Space. I'd thought you both would understand when you saw the different dimensions inside from those outside." Susan explained.

"Let me get this straight. A thing that looks like a police box, standing in a junkyard...it can move anywhere in time and space!?" Ian asks shocked and stunned.

"Yes!" Susan cheered glad that they got it.

"Quite so." That Angel added.

"But that's ridiculous!" Ian exclaimed.

"Why won't they believe us?" Susan asked her grandmother exasperated.

"Well, how can we?" Barbara questions.

"Now, now, don't get exasperated, Susan. Remember the Red Indian. When he saw the first steam train, his savage mind thought it an illusion too." The Angel reminds her granddaughter putting her hands on Susan's s shoulders.

"You're treating us like children!" Ian shouts stung by the comment.

"Am I? The children of my civilization would be insulted." The Angel commented.

"Your civilization?" Ian inquired.

"Yes, my civilization. I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it. Have you ever thought about what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension? Have you? To be exiles?, The Angel questions and motions to herself and Susan. "Susan and I are cut off from our own planet, without friends or protection. But one day..." She gazes into the distance, her arm around Susan. "...we shall get back. Yes, one day…one day..."

"It's true. Every word of it's true. You don't know what you've done coming here… " Susan said distraught as she face the teachers. She turns to The Angel. "Grandmother, let them go now, please! Look, if they don't understand, they can't...they can't hurt us at all! I understand these people better than you...their minds reject things they don't understand..." Susan pleads.

The Angel's icy but sympathetic look is her answer. The girl's words seize up in her throat.

"No. I'm sorry my dear." The Angel tells Susan.

She walks to the back of the room.

"He can't keep us here..." Ian said but trailed off.

"Susan, listen to me, can't you see that all this is an illusion? It's a game that you and your grandfather are playing, if you like. But you can't expect us to believe it." Barbara tells Susan

"It's not a game!" Susan says back.

"But, Susan…" Barbara sighs.

"It's not! Look, I love your school. I love England in the 20th century. The last five months have been the happiest of my life..." Susan replied very upset.

"But you are one of us. You look like us, you sound like us..." Barbara said.

"I was born in another time. Another world." Susan said tightly.

"Now look here Susan, you..." Ian started to try but he finally gives up and grabs Barbara's arm. "Oh come on, Barbara, let's get out of here."

They walk towards the wall, trying to find the doors.

"No, you two can't get out. She won't let you go. No matter how much she really wants to." Susan explained.

A high pitched whining sound echoes through the room. At the console, The Angel is laughing.

"He closed the doors from over there." Ian said pointing towards the console. He moves toward it. "I saw it..." He looks over the console. "Now which is it...?Which is it?" He looks toward The Angel demanding. "Which control operates the door?"

"You still think it's all an illusion..." The Angel sighs out.

"I know free movement in time and space is a scientific dream I don't expect to find solved in a junkyard!" Ian replied back hotly.

"Oh, your arrogance is nearly as great as your ignorance!" The Angel tells him laughing.

"Will you open the door? Open the door!" Ian demands but The Angel just sighs. "Susan, will you help us?

"I mustn't! I mustn't!" Susan said.

"Very well then. I'll have to risk it myself." Ian sighs facing the console.

"I can't stop you..." The Angel said with suspicious acceptance but with a hint of reluctance.

The Angel's hand brushes a switch just as Ian's comes down on a button...

"Oh, don't touch it! It's live!" Susan warns.

The shock flings Ian to the floor.)p

"Ian!" Barbara shouts and helps him up and shouts at The Angel. "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

"Grandmother, let them go now! Please!" Susan begs.

"And by tomorrow we shall be a public spectacle. A subject for news and idle gossip." The Angel tells her granddaughter.

She resolutely turns to the console. Susan moves to stop her.

"But they won't say anything…" Susan promises.

The Angel claps her hands on the girl's shoulders before saying. "My dear child, of course they will. Put yourself in their place. They're bound to make some sort of a complaint to the authorities... or at the very least talk to their friends." She wags her finger at her. "If I do let them go, Susan, you realize of course we must go too." The Angel try's to compromise.

"No. grandmother, we've had all this out b…" Susan tried to persuade.

"There's no alternative, child." The Angel tells her firmly but gentle not wanting anything to happen to her.

"I want to stay! Look, they're both kind people. Why won't you trust them? All you've got to do is ask them to promise to keep our secret and…" Susan tried again.

"It's out of the question." The Angel said hating to see her granddaughter so upset.

"I won't go, Grandmother. I won't leave the 20th century…I'd rather leave the TARDIS and you!" Susan said angry not noticing her grandmothers hurt and heartbroken expression.

"Now you're being sentimental and childish." The Angel said hiding her hurt with anger.

"No, I mean it." Susan said.

The Angel looks at her and the teachers and seems to reach a decision.

"Very well. Then you must go with them. I'll open the door." The Angel said and turns to the console.

"Are you coming, Susan?" Barbara question having seen that the words had hurt The Angel.

The Angel starts to activate switch after switch on the console.

"Oh no grandmother, no! I'm sorry" Susan said calming down and realizing her words.

Susan grabs at her grandmother, trying to pull her away.

"Let me go!" The Angel shouts angrily.

"No!" Susan responds.

She keeps activating controls despite Susan's best efforts. The room starts to shake as the lighting within pulses. Instruments and dials on the console burst into life.

"Get back to the ship's side! Hold it..." the Angel says.

The shaking worsens, and the teachers are flung across the room, Barbara into a chair and Ian onto the floor a raucous grinding engine sound rises and falls through the room, the cylindrical column begins to rise and fall. And on the monitor, an overhead view of London is shown, that shrinks, fades... and is replaced by a blinding vortex of light and energy...

...

TARDIS Console Room

The wasteland fills the monitor screen. The Angel does not seem to see it. She seems shocked by what has taken place. Ian and Barbara remain unconscious nearby.

...

Desert

Outside, a new element has entered the rocky wastes the odd image of the police box, it's lantern still flashing, standing ungainly on the uneven ground. Part of the wasteland is suddenly obscured by a shadow... what looks like the shadow of a humanoid…


End file.
